Gaara's Assistant
by Lynnryo
Summary: Slight AU. Gaara's new assistant is the shy, fearful girl Shai. On Haitus until rewritten.
1. Meeting him

**Disclaimer: _I do not own Naruto. Kishimoto and whoever liscensed it does._**

_A/N: I'm moving all my old author notes to the bottom of the page. Now, I've added an appearence to Shai. HAH!_

**Chapter One: Meeting him**

No one would tell from justher appearence that she was a genin. If her teacher hadn't been walking next to her, she would have looked like a normal teenager. Except for the fact that she looked terrified. Her light brown eyes were wide, tears threatening to spill over onto her fair cheeks. She was wearing an open,light green, summer jacket over a pale purple, low neckline t-shirtwith afishnet shirt under that. Her jeans were loose-fitting boot cut and brown. Her hair was almost the same color as her eyes, butit was sun bleached. Cropped to fall just past her shoulders and done up in a messy half-up half-down hairdoo. Her shoulders shook, completing the frightened school-girl look.

Just this morning she was told that she was going to be an assistant to Gaara. To a _monster._

All her friends had wished her luck, and gave her a small present. It seemed everyone else had known that it would be her next.

'_Except me' _She thought gloomily as her teacher, Kuruki-sensei, led her to the Kazekage's office to meet the monster, and his older siblings, whom she was to share residence with.

As Shai and Kuruki-sensei neared the building, they could make out four seperate people standing at the door. The very tallest looked pressed for time and he kept glancing around impatiently. Obviously the Kazekage's wouldn't be out there to greet them -- he was very busy at this time of year.

"This is where I leave you Shai." Kuruiki-sensei bowed to the other group before begining his short journey back to the sand's ninja academy.

Shai bowed, followed by the blond haired girl, and the guy with the red-purple face colorings. The red-haired boy just nodded. The man that had been waiting for her sighed and waved an impatient hand.

"I really must be going now.. Good luck.." With that, the taller one took off to where ever he was needed.

"Hi, you must be Shai. I'm Temari." Temari shook Shai's hand and stood back for the others to introduce themselves.

"Kankuro." Kankuro nodded in recognition and looked at the last boy.

_Gaara!_

He just glared at Shai with his pale green eyes.

Shai blinked and looked away.

"Gaara, do you always have to be this way?" Kankuro snapped at his younger brother.

"Ah, uh...um..." Shai just stared at the two brothers.

Gaara stared down his brother, and Temari sighed heavily, trying to signal to Kankuro that picking a fight would not be wise.

"Answer me, _little brother._" Kankuro's voice dripped with venomous hate, and his eyes never waivered from the glare he was receiving in return.

"I will never recognize you as my brother." Gaara spat back at the older boy. In one fluid motion, Gaara's arm pointed towards Kankuro, palm out.

"Gaara, Kankuro... Don't fight... please not now...?" Temari asked timidly, only to receive a cruel glare from both brothers.

When Kankuro didn't recognize the threat he was receiving, Gaara pointed his arm at his new assistant and raised his other arm to his chest to form a hand seal.

Temari inhaled sharply, struggling with something inside her mind before she spoke again, "Kankuro, look what you did! You're both acting like little kids!"

Shai could feel something creeping up her legs. She looked down and let out a squeak of fear. There was sand forming around her ankles and it began to snake up her legs menicingly.

"Gaara! Don't! Please, just stop it you two!" Temari pushed Kankuro away from Gaara. Temari received another sharp glare.

Gaara lowered his arms and the sand scattered.

Shai stood, fighting back tears. '_It just keeps getting better and better!' _She thought bitterly.

"L-lets go..." Temari said, motioning for Shai and her brother's to follow.

Shai followed Temari at two steps behind her, Kankuro only a few feet further and Gaara was following a good two yards behind. Shai kept glancing behind her suspiciously.

Soon, they arrived at a medium sized brick home. It looked almost exactly as the other houses down the entire street, except for the numbers that hung above the doorframe. Above that was a sign with the sand's ensignia emblazened upon it. Temari motioned for the girl to stop gawking and get inside. Shai closed her mouth - _'when had it fallen open?'_ She asked herself - and nodded, following her inside before Gaara could reach the gate.

The front entrance room was small. It could only fit three or four at a time inside, and it only held a small picture of the Kazekage and some children. Shai guessed it was a family portrait, but noticed that there was no Mother figure, nor was there a jade-eyed monster.

The hallway leading to a branch of two other hallways was just as bland as the front room. Nothing adjorned the walls here. Temari pulled Shai into the first room on the left, what looked like a living room or dining room. A low table was situated in the middle, six green sitting places at equal intervals between themselves. The far wall had a window, and Shai could see the street outside. To Shai's dismay, there were no curtains. Before she could take in the rest of the room, Temari pulled her out into the room across the hall.

This room was the kitchen. To the right was a sink and the refridgerator - Kankuro had already begun to dig through it. In the middle was an island, and on the left was a door. Shai guessed that the door led to a pantry. The kitchen too had a curtainless window.

Instead of the veiw of the street, the got to see the sand-filled allyway behind their house. Shai saighed in dismay, the house really needed redecoration..

Temari smiled bitterly andshowed her down the hallway that ran off to the left.

It led to the washroom and her room. Her room was the worst room she had seen so far. to the right wall was her bed. on the far wall was a closet. On the wall opposite to the bed was a window. A dingy yellow curtain hung there, and Shai almost gagged. The room was horrendus!

Temari had left Shai to explore the rest of the house on her own.

She had walked down the other hallway and peeked into the three rooms there, but was almost bludgeoned to death when she'd entered Temari's room without knocking.

Temari claimed she thought Shai was Kankuro, and that he'd barged in again. Shai shrugged it off.

It was her fault for not knocking first.

Temari's room was bland, but it had a brown curtain in her window, a vanity, a deskand a shelf of books. At least it had some furniture..

She knocked on Kankuro's door, and with no reply, she peeked in to see his room was almost as horrible as her own.

His room was on the shady side of the house, so it didn't need a curtain. Against the wall, under the window, was Kankuro's bed. He too had a closet, but it was open and completely bare; his clothes were heaped in a pile in the corner.

Shai sighed again and closed the door.

"Oi! What were you doing looking in my room?" Shai jumped and turned to face Kankuro. She'd been caught poking around.

"I.. Uh.. I'm sorry.. I was just looking around.." Shai turned sevral shades of crimson and looked at her feet.

Kankuro laughed and ruffled her hair, "I was kidding. Don't take everything so seriously.."

Shai nodded and Kankuro brushed past her to go into his room, not bothering to close the door.

Glancing down the hall, she realized that the only room left was Gaara's. Curiousity won out the battle in her head and she knocked tentavly at the door.

"Gaara-san..? Uh.. Are.. Are you in there?"

No reply.

Shai let out the breath she didn't know that she'd been holding and turned the knob. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Gaara's voice drift down the hall.

"_Don't_ go in my room."

"Shai, when's dinner?" Someone was trying to get her attention from inside the kitchen.

Shai had been in the pantry to take stock of what they'd need for canned goods. She glanced out of the room and saw Gaara standing at the kitchen doorway.

"Y-yes, Gaara-san?" Shai swallowed the lump in her throat.

"When's dinner?" Gaara repeated.

"It's.. Uh.. I'll start right now.." Shai rushed back into the pantry and began to grab some things that could be made into a proper meal. When she rushed out into the kitchen to grab some vegetables, Gaara was gone.

The girl could have wept at how little food they kept in the house.

Pulling out a pot and a pan Shai boiled some water and fried upthe remainingvegetables.. The ones that hadn't gone bad anyways.

She dumped a few packs if instant noodles into the pot of boilingwaterand took off the vegetables. When the noodles had finished cooking, she put it all together.

"Dinner's ready!" She called, setting the pot of noodle's onto the dining room table.

"What are we having?" Asked Temari and Kankuro simultaneously as they entered theroom and sat at the table.

"Noodles!" Answered Shai as she set up four bowls and placed chopsticks next to them.

Gaara entered last and sat first. Shai served the noodles and sat down two seats away from the monster. When no one offered conversation, they began to eat their share of food and left Shai to clean up.

When she'd washed, dryed and put awayall the dishes, Shai plopped down the hall and sank into her bed.

'_I hope tomorrow's better...'_ thought Shai before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: _Okay, so Gaara gets a bit OOC in later chapters. Bear with it. Also, he probably **can **daydream, seeing as he has flashbacks in the manga. And, Shai gets OOC sometimes too._

A/N: _(After the revamp) Alright, now that I've finished with the horrible task of re-organizing the chapters and stuff.. The explination of what I did... First, I made the paragraphs more discriptive.. And no, Shai still has no appearance... In case you noticed that too._

_I merged a few chapters, and I rewrote a lot. I had to rewrite all that because Gaara was WAY too OOC and it was bugging not only me, but my readers.. And the only reason he was so OOC is because my beta-er was kinda forcing me..._

_I know that's no excuse but it's true. And she's the one that's writing the little bit at the bottom with Gaara and stuff... I just fix it so it has proper grammar and punctuation. Now, ON WITH THE STORY!_


	2. The confrontation

**Disclaimer**: _**Sadly, I don't own any of the characters from Naruto… I only own my thoughts… I think.**_

**Chapter Two: The Confrontation**

_Shai woke up early again, but was very tired. After doing her normal morning routine, she headed to the kitchen to make breakfast._

_Taking out the honey, oats, a pot and brown sugar, she began making porridge._

_As she filled the pot full of water, Shai felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She jumped only slightly and looked back, expecting to see Temari._

_Her breath hitched when she saw Gaara standing there._

"_G-Gaara-san…?" Asked Shai timidly._

_Gaara just stared at Shai with hiscoldjadeeyes. His face was emotionless, so Shai couldn't tell what he was thinking._

_Suddenly, the arm Gaara had rested against Shai's shoulder, reachedaround and gently turned her so she was pinned against the counter. He used his other hand to grasp her chin and turn her face up, ever so slightly._

_He leaned in and closed the gapbetween them._

Shai sat up in a cold sweat.

'_That dream… Why won't it go away!' _Shai thought angrily. Only two weeks had passed, and she'd already felt attraction towards the sand's ultimate weapon.

Looking at the clock, she realized it was only 2:00 AM. Sighing, Shai lifted herself from her warm bed and placed her feet on the icy ground. She shivered and padded down towards the kitchen.

As she entered the doorway, she shuddered. She rummaged through the drawers until she found the tea she wanted. She boiled the water and waited for the tea to steep.

'_Why would I be having these dreams?' _Shai thought to herself.

**'_Because he's attractive'_**

_'Who's this? Are you myconscious?'_

_**'Yes.'**_

_'... So?'_

_**'So what?'**_

_'Do I really like Gaara?'_

_**'Yeah.'** _

'_But he's a monster!'_

**'_A sexy monster.'_**

'_But he would kill me if he had the chance!'_

**'_So? He's hot! What more do you want?'_**

'_Why do I think of him?'_

**'_Because you're afraid of him.'_**

'_But then why would I dream of him kissing me?'_

**'_Because you want him.'_**

'_WHAT?'_

**'_Well it's true.'_**

'_No, It is not!'_

**'…'**

'_What?'_

**'_Denial.'_**

'_Am not!'_

**'_Are too.'_**

'_Are_ not!_'_

**'_Do you really want to argue with me?'_**

'_You_are_ me.'_

**'_Good point.'_**

During Shai's internal argument, she had closed her eyes and forgot about everything else around her. She was in a trance.

She didn't hear the footsteps from down the hall. She didn't hear someone enter the kitchen. She didn't even feel the hand on her shoulder.

But she didheard his voice.

"Shai. Shai?" Gaara's voice sounded distant, yet all too close. She hastilybrought herselfout of the trance and gasped.

"H-hai, Gaara-san?" Asked Shai nervously.

"Why are you up?" It didn't sound likea question, but a demand.

"I… I was.. Thirsty?"

"…" Gaarastooda few feet beside Shai, and looked out the window.

"G-Gaara-san?"

"What was the nightmare about." It didn't sound like a question, but more of a demand.

"W-well ... Uh ...uhm ... What nightmare?" Shai stuttered.

Gaara raised an eyebrow and looked at her quizzically.

"Uh ...I-it was .." Shai looked down at her feet and whispered, "I didn't have one …"

Gaara leaned over and cupped Shai's chin with one hand, "Don't lie."

"Uh …" Shai blushed deep scarlet, "I-I don't think you really… want to know…"

Gaara glared at Shai, and her blush deepened. Her reaction caused him to smirk ever so slightly. He dropped his hand and tapped his foot irritably.

Shai shuffled her feet and tryed to think up an excuse, "How do you know I was having a nightmare?"

Gaara rubbed his temples. Could the girl be any more avoidant?

"I heard you all the way to may room."

Shai blushed several different shades of red and stared ather feet.

"Shai."

"H-hai…" Shai looked up slightly.

"Uh ..." Shai's head cocked to the side slightly.

"You called my name twice tonight." His voice sounded impatient and Shai sighed.

"I dreamt about ...you ..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. Gaara had to strain to hear it and when he realized what it was she said, he abruptly stalked out of the room.

When Shai realized that her tea had cooled, she took a shakey breath and began again. The last few hours before dawn she spent cooking up a proper breakfast for the Kazekage's children, and silently weeping.


	3. Gaara

A/N: _Hell yeah. Third chapter. :O And by the way, it's been another two days (In the story)since the last chapter .._

**Disclaimer: _I don't own Naruto or any or the characters ... If I did, it wouldn't be a kids show ;)_**

**Chapter Three: Gaara**

Gaara glared at his reflection in his window. The sky was just beggining to turn pink, and he was trying to sort out some things in his head.

As he thought, he began to daydream. He often got daydreams. Since he never slept, that was the only word that could ever hope to come close to what it was he experienced. If hecould sleep, he was sure that more than half of his daydreams would be called nightmares ...

* * *

_He ran as fast as he could, but seemed to go nowhere. He was trapped, with no way out ... It seemed just as all hope was lost, a hand reached down into the darkness and took hold of Gaara's small hand ..._

_Just as suddenly as the scene began, it changed._

_Shai stood under a spotlight, looking rather terrified. Gaara took a few steps towards her and found he was indeed getting closer._

_With every step he took towards her, she looked more and more terrified._

_When Gaara was a few feet from her, she was crying._

'_What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Gaara asked._

_Shai only stepped into Gaara's arms._

_Startled, Gaara took a step back._

_Shai looked up and leaned in. Her lips pushed lightly against hers._

_Gaara pushed back, making the kiss deeper. She responded lightly. Gaara's tongue found entrance to her mouth and entered, and Shai let out a moan._

_Gaara's hands began stroking her hair, then moved down her back._

_Shai's hands also began roaming, and they began to stroke Gaara's chest and abdomen, under his shirt._

* * *

Gaara looked between his hands. They had wrapped themselves around his head. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was still only 5:00 am. 

'_Damnit!_' Gaara's voice came out in a hiss, and he felt the Shukaku trying to swim its way into Gaara's conciousness. He mentally told it to shove off; he would never give into that monster!

* * *

Sighing, Shai sat down on her bed and stared at the floor for a while. She climbed into her bed and pulled the sheets up to her chin. She glanced at her newly purchased clock, sighing asit read 5:04 am. As she drifted off, she began to think about what had happened two days before.. 

She opened her eyes to briliant sunshine in her faceand lookeddown at her clock.

10:35 am.

"Mmm hmmm… Ungh ..." moaned Shai as she willed herself to wake up.

She sat up to stretch before getting up to changeand walked to the kitchen. On the table was a note.

_Shai,  
__Me and Kank are out for the day. Don't worry about dinner, we're all being treated tonight.  
__I took the liberty of making breakfast ahead of time and left some in the fridge for you.  
__Also, we left a little bit of cash for you, in case you wanna go somewhere.  
Try to go get some more sleep._

_--Temari and Kankuro_

Shai sighed and went into the fridge. She warmed up the eggs and bacon that had been left for her and toasted a peice of bread. She stood at the island to eat it when she heard the floorboards creak down the right-side hall.

She ignored it, digging into her breakfast; the house always made noises like that.

Again there was a creak from down the hall. It sounded pretty far away ... It could have been down by Gaara's room ...

Shai ignored it again, but was starting to get suspicious.

She finished up and washed her plate. Went she left the kitchen to go investigate the noises, she stepped into a sandy patch of wood.

"Huh…?" Shai looked down - hadn't she_ just_ swept the floor that morning? -and gasped. There was a tiny little eyeball that was retreating down the hall. Lookinglooking beyondit,she sawGaara wasundoing the jutsu and staring at her.

"Shai…" He turned his face from away.

She crept closer to the normally stoic boy. He looked back at her; almost surprised she was coming closer.

"G-Gaara-san…?" Shai swallowed heavily.

Gaara stared at the small trembling girl that stood several paces away.

Shai held her hands close to her chest. She again swallowed and forced herself to look into his cold eyes.

"Gaara-san… I-is ... is something ...wrong?" Shai's hand rested lightly on his shoulder.

She half expected Gaara to strike her, and half expected him to brush her off. To her surprise he pulled her into an embrace.

"... Sorry." Gaara's voice was barely audible.

After a few moments, Shai wrapped her own arms around Gaara. Savouring the feeling of his rough, yet gentle, hands as the held her small body close.

* * *

A/N: _Hahaha! Oh! Snap! o.o; ...Don't mind me._

_;Gaara enters the room, glaring daggers at the author and her friend.;_

_"What?"_

_;Random bashing noises are heard;_


	4. The weekend

**__**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters… well maybe Shai, but that's it.

I do not own these characters… well maybe Shai, but that's it.****

Chapter four: The Weekend

Gaara and Temari had been summoned by the Kazekage, leaving behind Kankuro and Shai. After spending a month at her new home, she found that it was rather easy to keep up with the three. Most of the time they were out meeting the Kazekage, or on missions, so she had had time to redecorate with the small amount of money they paid her for all the work she did.

The best thing about living with the sand nins wasthat they treated her almost like a sister, or a friend. Shai had finally realized that Gaara wasn't the monster she had made him out to be, and enjoyed his company ... If he was in a good mood.

Shai giggled at the thought of Gaara when he was last angry at someone, then chasticed herself for such a morbid thought.

The last person to anger the Shukaku's container was in the hospital. He wasn't due to get out for another two months.

Kankuro and Shai were sitting in the living room, which now had a threadbare couch and some second-hand recliners. Shai would never tell the siblings where she had bought the furniture ...

"So… How's it all going with re-decorating the house?" Asked Kankuro in attempt to make simple conversation.

"Well… It's a bit big, but it's relatively easy to find stuff to make it look nicer." Shai giggled again as she munched on a pancake.

"Oh… Well, what do you think about Gaara?" Asked Kankuro again.

"…" Shai swallowed some orange juice and cleared her throat, "Well… He's okay… I guess."

"Hn… " Replied Kankuro as he picked up a newspaper. He shot her a sarcastic look before unfolding the paper and pretending to skim through the headlines.

"What?" Asked Shai curiously. She was finding the conversation to turn in the wrong direction, but she wanted to know what the look he'd given her was for.

"What, what?"

"Why did you ask that?"

"Just 'cuz."

"'Just 'cuz'? Yeah right." Shai playfully punched Kankuro on the arm and raising an eyebrow.

Kankuro smiled and cleared his throat. It was hard not to smile around her when she was so full of energy. "Why do you need to know?"He replied,playfully returned Shai's punch.

"You sound suspicious. What're you planning?" Shai raisedboth eyebrows and giggled.

"Heh … Well, since you asked _so politely_, I guess I could tell you."

"Okay!" Shai was still giggling.

"…" Kankuro smirked andwent back to reading the paper.

"Well?" Shai drummed her fingers in mock irritation.

"Well what?"

"You know what." Again, she smiled up at Kankuro, pretending to be hurt.

"I already told you what I was planning." Kankuro resisted the urge to kiss Shai. Even if she was pretending to look hurt, he couldn't stand that look in her eyes ...

He mentally punched himself for that thought.

"No you didn't." Shai pouted and crawled up onto the sofa.

"I was planning on reading the paper." Kankuro smirked. _Gods_ did she ever look sexy when she pouted..

Shai laughed joyfully. Kankuro hadn't heard her laughso heartily since she moved in, and it made _him_ feel happy to hear her laugh like that.

Shai was about to retort when the door was opened and two people shuffled in before the door was slammed shut again.

"Gaara! Don't slam the door!" Temari wasn't known to raise her voice too often, but when she did, it wasn't too good a sign.

Shai and Kankuro's eyes met and they both rushed into the front room.

Shai gasped and stared,shocked.

Gaara had Temari pinned against the wall, and had a hand wrapped aroundher neck. Sand was already creeping up Temari like a snake, with its target her throat.

"Gaara! Put her down!" Kankuro's voice thundered in the small room, and he stalked over to his little brother.

Shai stood there, helpless.

"Get lost Kankuro!" Hissed Gaara.

Gaara made a seal and sand started to snake its way over to Kankuro, whom seemed to be oblivious to the action.

"Gaara! LetTemari go!"

"G-Gaara-san…?" Shai's voice was strained; shewas trying to force herself to help Temari.Taking a step closer to the enraged red head, her brain trudged through the bog that kept it from working.

"Guh… Sh-Shai… Don't… Uhng!"

Gaara tightened his grip on Temari, and the sand that had begun to wrap around her did likewise.

Kankuro grabbed Gaara's wrist and tried to loosed his grip, but his sand barrier stopped him.

The rest of the sand that had gathered wrapped itself around Kankuro's ankles and suspended him above the ground, upside down.

"Piss off Kankuro!" Spat Gaara as he willed the sand to toss his brotheraside before making it wrap around him to hold him in place.

Shai took another step towards the increasingly angered red head, "G-Gaara-san... Please… Calm down .." Anyone could tell that she was frightened by Gaara's temper -- more then either of the siblings.

Gaara spared a glace towards Shai and the sand began to dissapate from around Kankuro and Temari. He didn't let go of his sister, but his grip was faltering.

Shaiswallowed her fearand took another shakey step towards Gaara.

The red headlashed out and struck Shai across the face. She stumble backwards a few paces, but she didn't fall.

"Gaara-san … P-please ... stop this…" Tears threatened to make her face wet and a strangled sob escaped her throat.

Gaara let his sister drop to the floor and stormed towards his room.

Shai looked at the ground as Gaara strode past her. When she heard his door slam, she felt her knees shake and threaten to buckle under her. After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Shai bent down and hugged Temari.

"Shhh… Shai… " Temari wrapped the small girl in her arms to return the embrace, Kankuro hesitantly following suite.

* * *

;Gaara steps into the room angrily.;

"_What the fuck!" _

;Author stares at him, mouth open.;

"_Why the fuck was I so nice?" _

;Author continues to stare at the hot redhead standing in the doorway.;

;Gaara blinks and glares at the author.;

;Author jumps up and glomps Gaara.;

"_What. The. Fuck!" _

;Gaara storms out with the author still attached to him.;

;A few minutes later the author comes back, covered in blood.;


	5. Night

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Gaara or any other characters… but one can dream T.T**_

_A/N: Some of the words get mushed together when I do editing. o.O It's really annoying._

**Chapter Five: Night**

_She sat at the table, across from a man. There was just one problem ..._

_The man had no face._

"_Who are you?" Shai asked, voice calm and even._

"_You know who I am."_

_Shai's brows knit together in attempt to remember what was so familiar about those clothes.. That sash... and the gourd that hung at his back before she shook her head._

"_Yes you do." Gaara's features seemed to melt onto the face of the faceless man._

_Shai jumped up and backed away from Gaara afore sand shot up and grabbed her to pull her within arms reach of Gaara._

"_Why are you afraid? Why do you try to distance yourself from me? Why!" The sand that held her dissapated and was replaced by Gaara's hands. They shook her like a ragdoll and he demanded answers to his questions._

Shai sat up and almost hit her head on the bottom of her bed.She had somehow rolled underneath it during her nightmare.

"Wha--? Oh man, how did I get here?" Shai rolled over and began to crawl out from underneath her bed, but stopped when she saw a pair of feet standing at the door.

The feet didn't attempt tomove, butnor did Shai. She barely dared tobreath.

Gaara knelt down and looked at Shai, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Shai blushed, crawling out from under her bed, as Gaarastraightened and crossed his arms.

Shai stood with her hands clasped modestly in front of her, seemingly studying the floorboards.

Gaara sighed and gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder, using his thumb as leverage to prod herchin so he could see her face.

"You were afraid, yet you stood up to me ... Why?" Gaara asked, his dark-ringed eyes narrowing expectantly at Shai.

Shaiaverted her gazeandshuffled away from Gaara, blushing the deepest scarlet.

"I ... Don't know ..."

Nodded and let his hand fall back to his side. He stared at her for another moment before turningand leaving Shai's bedroom.

Gaara entered his room and immediatly sat onthe bed. He put his head in his hands and massaged his temples.

_'Why is everything going so wrong ...? I didn't mean to lose my temper at Temari today, and she had to witness that too ...'_

He looked up when he heard footsteps from down the hall. Again he buried his head in his hands when he realized it was Shai. He cursed under his breath when he heard the footsteps slownear his room, and he remembered he hadn't closed his door. He swore silently inside his head again.

"G-Gaara-san?" Shai stood at his door way, half hidden behind the wall.

"What do you want." Gaara dropped his hands and glared at Shai.

Flinching, shewithdrew behind the wall. Taking a deep breath to calm herself again,she peeked back into Gaara's room.

"I… I'm sorry," Shai swallowed a large lump of fearin her throat.

"What for? It's all my fault, remember !" Gaara stood up andsauntered towards Shai, whowas nowtrembling like a leaf in the autumn breeze.

Shai froze up, unable to move away from or towards Gaara as he grabbed the front of her nightshirt and pulled her inside his room. Her hands instictively wrapped around Gaara's and her eyes welled up again.

"Answer me!" He pushed her roughly against the wall andGaara could feel the Tanuki laugh at him. He had forgotten about him.

Gaara let her go andgrabbed his head, takinga fewsteps away from Shai.

"_What do you want!" _hissed Gaara to the Tanuki.

"**_I want you to kill her!"_** Answered Gaara to himself in a low voice. It sounded almost ... Inhuman.

"_No! Not her! Not Shai!" _Gaara shouted to the room, dropping to his knees as he battled the Tanuki for consiousness.

Shaiwanted to crawlbackwards into the wall as shewatched Gaara shout to himself. She watched in fear and awe, not daring to move an inch.

"_**Just kill the bitch! Who cares about her!**"_

"_I care! Just shut up and _go away_!" _Gaara roared.

* * *

_;Gaara walks into the room with a knife.;_

"_Sorry! Please don't kill me! AAAH!"_

_;Gaara runs at the author and stabs her repeatedly.;_


	6. Confessions

**Disclaimer: _I don't own the characters… Nuuu!_**

**Chapter Six: Confessions**

When Kankuro heard Gaara fighting with the Shukaku, he raced into Tamari's room. Of course she was sleeping like a baby, complete with snoring action. Kankuro shook his sister violently in attempt to wake her. She batted at his hand and rolled over. Man could that girl ever sleep!

He bolted back out of her room and doubled back. Bursting into Gaara's room, Kankuro saw what he hoped he wouldn't; The Shukaku was winning the battle for Gaara's body.

"Gaara! Gaara, fight him!" Kankuro kneeled next to his brother and shook him gently, almost afraid to touch him in case the Tanuki turned on him.

Gaara looked up at his older sibling and muttered something along the lines of fucking Temari.

Kankuro's eyes narrowed and he slapped him upside the head, "What did you just say! I don't care if you're being taken over, you don't say shit like that to your brother!" Kankuro's voice trembled as he shook his brother more violently.

Shai let out a giggle but quickly let it die in her throat; Kankuro sent her the same glare he had been directing at Gaara.

Gaara stopped muttering and glared at his brother. Something was different about his eyes though…

"Shai, get out of here!" Kankuro roared, getting up and taking a few steps back. He began to make a hand seal, but Shai decided that she didn't want to stay to see the result. Mustering the last of her strength, she pushed herself out of Gaara's room and into Temari's. By now, she too was awake and on her way out.

Temari grapped Shai's hand and dragged her the rest of the way out of the house. The moment they stepped through the doorway, something obliterated one of the walls.

Temari looked back and dropped Shai's hand before backing away from her. Shai looked behind her and froze.

There stood Gaara, murderous intent in his eyes.

"_**Girl, come here. Come on!" **_Gaara's deeper voice mocked her as he beckoned to her as if she was a dog. He laughed long and hard, taking slow, measured steps towards her.

Shai shook her head and started back away, much like Temari was doing. She stepped on a sharp rock and felt her knees buckle as Gaara laughed and made a hand seal.

The ground rushed up to meet her, and the darkness awaited.

* * *

Shai shot up into a sitting position, and groaned; she was in the hospital, and had a splitting headache. To top it all off, she felt dull throbbing throughout her body, each passing second intesifying it. 

She gingerly sat back down, and reached up to a bandage covered head.

"What... What happened to me?"

"Shai, you know that Gaara's the Shukaku's carrier, right?" Temari grabbed Shai's hand as she spoke. It startled the girl to know that someone was there with her, but then she realized that it was Temari and Kankuro. They appeared at either edge of her vision and she nodded to confirm that she knew about the beast inside Gaara.

"What happened to ... to Gaara-san? And ... What did he ... Do to me ...?" Shai breathing became labored as the pain reached it's peak. She willed herself to calm down and directed some of her chakra to the worst areas affected. She had learned the skill during her four years training under Kuruki-sensei.

"He tried to crush you ... It wasn't his fault though. It was that damn Tanuki." Temari tried to reassure her friend.

Shai nodded again, "I .. I know ... But what _happened_ to Gaara-san?"

Temari stood up, "I'm going to get us something to drink … Be right back."

Temari got up and left the room. Shai rubbed her temples and sighed. When Temari's footsteps disappeared down the hall, Kankuro leaned over.

"Shai ... I ... "

"Hmm...?" Answered Shai, eyes drooping.

"I … uh …I … like … you." Shai could feel Kankuro blush, and her eyes snapped open.

"Like me ...how?" Her voice had a bitter edge to it that she wished she could take back.

"... As ... Well ...more than .. a friend ..." Shai felt Kankuro close the distance between them and his lips brushed Shai's briefly before he released her to see her reaction.

Shai was shocked and speechless. Her neck made a popping sound as she whipped it around to see who was at the door; she'd heard them enter the room while Kankuro kissed her.

Shai almost yelped when she saw Gaara standing there.

"G-Gaara?" Kankuro stuttered nervously, twisting in his seat to get a better look at Gaara's stoic face.

Gaara ambledup to Kankuro and punched him in the face, his brows knit together and eyes blazing in anger.

"You bastard! I hate you!" Gaara's voice was low and filled with enmity. He grabbed Kankuro by the collar and shoved him away from the bed.

Shai lay there, staring at the two, unable to do anything otherwise.

"Gaara! Gaara stop!" Temari raced into the room and dropped the two bottles of water shehad been holding to grab onto her youngest brother's raised arm.

"That bastard kissed her!" Gaara shook off his sister's arm and brought it down into Kankuro's face again. He raised his arm to hit him again but froze when he realized Shai was trying to climb out of bed.

"Gaara-san! Stop it!"

Temari ran over to Shai and wrestled with her until she sank back into her pillows. Then she rounded on Kankuro, and dragged him out of the room, leaving Shai alone with Gaara.

"Let me go Temari! _Let me fucking kill him_! Temari! Let me ..." The sound of Kankuro's rage faded asTemari dragged him further away from the room.

Gaara glanced down at his feet before turning to Shai, worry pasted all over his face.

"I … Shai … I'm sorry…" Gaara's voice barely drifted over to her ears, as he was speaking just above a whisper.

Shai blinked and smiled at him. She beckoned for him to sit in the chair beside her bed, and he complied hesitantly.

"It … It wasn't me … I swear it wasn't my fault!" Gaara whispered as he studied the floral patterns on the linoleoum tiles.

"Gaara-san, it's .. It's alright .. I know." Shai blushed and stared at Gaara, waiting for a reaction.

Gaara blushed slightly.

"I suppose you ... You heard ... you heard what the Tanuki said?"

"Yeah. Almost every last word."

"Oh. Well… uhm… I… I do care … about you." Gaara glanced at her. Seeing her stare at him, he promptly returned his gaze to the flowery tiles.

"…" Shai couldn't think of anything to say, so she continued to study Gaara's face.

"Shai…?" Gaara looked back at her, reaching into his pocket. He produced a slender blue case, and turned it over in his hands a moment before holding it out to her.

Shai took hold of it and gently opened the lid. Inside was a rope-chain necklace made of white gold. Off to the side was a small charm of the sand villages symbol.

"Gaara …kun?" Shai tested the new nickname and decided that she liked the sound of it better than Gaara-san.

Gaara's breath hitched, "Yes Shai?"

"It's beautiful! Thank you!" Shai sat up and hugged Gaara feircly, ignoring the new pain that coursed through her body.

Gaara was hesitant, but hugged her back, and whispered into her hair,"You shouldn't be moving."

Shai giggled and released Gaara after several moments and put the charm onto the chain. She looked up at Gaara and held it out to him.

"Could you .. Uh .. Help me put it on?" A blush crept up Shai's cheeks as Gaara's rough hands brushed her own and she shivered when those same hands brushed the back of her neck to snap the clasp into place on her necklace.

Heavy footsteps rang through the room, and Shai heard Kankuro gasp incredulously.

"Gaara! _You fucking **hypocrite**_!" Kankuro roared, disturbing an old lady that was walking by.

"What do you mean? You're the one who _kissed_ her."

Kankuro blushed and glared poison-tipped daggers at Gaara, "So what? I love her!"

Gaara returned the daggers and added a paralizing agent to them, "Prove it."

'_oh my god…'_

"Love me? Love me? I didn't ask for you to kiss me!" Shai was shouting at Kankuro in disbelief. She couldn't take the pressure of her anger anymore and growled at Kankuro, "I _only_ think of you as a _brother_!"

Kankuro looked at Shai, pain filling his eyes, "So you love Gaara? Even after he tried to _kill_ you?"

"That _wasn't_ my _**fault**_!" Roared Gaara, sand sneaking its way through the open window to encase Kankuro.

Kankuro struggled fruitlessly as the sand began to slowly crush him.

"You don't know what it's like! With this… this _thing_ inside of you!"

"Gaara! Kankuro! Stop it!" Shai had to scream, her voice becoming scratchy in her efforts.

Gaara hesitated and took a deep breath. The sand that had been crushing his brother let go and made it's way back to Gaara. Kankuro's eyes welled up as he turned on his heel and ran out of the room, passing Temari.

"What happened here?" She asked as she surveyed Gaara's angry, yet stoic, face and Shai's surprised and relieve done.

Gaara glanced over at Shai once more before storming out of the room, heading down the opposite hall Kankuro took.

Shai sighed, "This... Sucks." After a questioning look from Temari, she explained what had happened.

Temari gasped after hearing what Shai had the say, then squealed in delight.

"You're _happy?" _Asked Shai skeptically.

"Well yeah! Gaara hasn't shown _any_ feelings, besides anger, since the incident with his uncle.."

Shai gaped at Temari, "What happened with his uncle?"

"Well, it was an accident, but yeah. The incident with his uncle."

"Explanation please?"

Temari proceeded to tell Shai of when Gaara killed Yashimaru, ommiting the fact that it had been the Kazekage's order.

"That's horrible!"

Temari shrugged, "Yeah, well … As I said, it was an accident."

Footsteps echoed throught the room as a medical nin dragged a stunned Kankuro into the room.

"Is this yours?" He asked, brandishing Kankuro as if he was a disease.

"uh ... Yeah," Answered Temari carefully, "What did he do this time?"

"He tried to destroy the lobby."

"Oh."

* * *

**'Deleted?'scene 1: Why are _they_ here?**

Gaara stomped down hallway after hallway for ten minutes before he could tell himself that he was officially lost in the gods forsaken hospital.

He passed a room door that was wide open. Odd moaning noised emmited from inside and Gaara grew curious.

He peeked in and saw…

_Naruto? _

_And Sasuke?_

**_Making out?_**

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Shouted Gaara, bursting into the room and suspended both guys by their ankles. "Get a hotel room!"

He shook his head and stormed out of the room, shuddering.

* * *

_A/N: Heehee. Just HAD to add that last part. XD._

_;Gaara enters the room, pointing a finger at the author.;_

"_You are **beyond **pervert!"_

_;Sasuke and Naruto enter behind Gaara.;_

_;Gaara rolls his eyes and leaves.;_

**"**_**Why did you do that?"** Both ask at the same time._

_;Author blinks, shocked into a stupor.;_

**"_We want a longer scene! With more details!"_**

_;Author passes out from uncontrollable laughter.;_


	7. First Mission

_A/N: The password is just random letters that sound good together ... You'll understand when you see it._

**_Disclaimer: I still don't own the Naruto cast ..._**

**Chapter Seven: First Mission**

It had been a whole month since Shai had woken up in the hospital. She demanded to be released sooner than that, but the medical nin refused. They obviously didn't want her around Gaara anymore either as they kept making excuses to kick the three siblings out of the room every time they visited her.

She was back staying with the Gaara, Temari and Kankuro, courtesy of the Kazekage himself.

She had begun to notice thatKankuro was a deal quieter and more violent towards everyone else, and she was pretty depressed about it.She was beyond certain it was her fault for loosing her temper at the hospital at him.

Temari seemed normal, but anyone could tell she was more weary towards her brothers. She tended to stay out of their arguments a bit more than was usual for her. She especially stayed out of any argument with Gaara in it.

Gaara's temper had deminished to a small spark instead of the flames it had been before. He could control himself better and the casualties in his missions had gone down. A lot. He seemed to harbour a very soft spot for Shai and she enjoyed it more than she admitted to herself. He had also taken to kissing Shai whenever he could.

They had begun to make dinner, and Gaara volunteered to help cook it. Well, more along the lines of Temari and Kankuro running off to leave Gaara to help.

"Shai."

"Hai, Gaara-kun?" Answered Shai, whom was just starting to fry up the lobster for their supper.

They were having lobster stir-fry with lobster as a side dish.

"... This rice isn't cooking right." Gaara was trying to boil the rice, and didn't seem to be having much luck.The family was use to steaming the rice with a rice cooker, but it was broken, so they were forced to boil it.

Shai turned the heat down on the lobster and peeked over at Gaara.

"Why is it sticking?" Gaara held the spoon up, taking almost half the ricewith it.

Shai laughed while Gaara scowled at the rice.

"Here, let me show you…"

Shai rummaged through the drawer and found the salt. She showed him how much to add to keep it from sticking to the pot and the spoon.

After five minutes, Gaara finaly had the rice cooked. He scowled at it again before adding the half-spoon of butter and letting Shai stir some of the lobster into the pot.

The second Shai finished putting their dinner together, Gaara spun her around and gave her a breif kiss.

"Thanks."Gaara looked into her eyes before ghosting his lips against hers once more.

Shai smiledas a 'you'rewelcome' and she pecked him on the lips one more time before checking the rest of the lobster.

Gaara dumped the pot of stir-fry into a large bowl and took some plates out to the dining room. When he returned, both he and Shai did a second trip with the other lobster, chopsticks, glasses and a pitcher of juice.

"_Come and eat it before it's **gone**_!" Shai's voice rang through the house, amplified by the empty corridors.

Temari and Kankuro raced into the dining room and tripped over eachother in a race to get some food. Seeing how much had actually been made, they glared at Shai and Gaara.

Shai beamed at them; it was still funny to see them trip over eachother to get the last of the food. Which of course was actually just being put out.

The first thing Shai had noticed when they had brought her home was the dining room table; it was smaller at one end so it was more square than rectangular.

Shai sat with Temari across from her, Gaara and Kankuro on either side of her. The tension between the two was intense.

"So Temari, how is yourtraining going?" Asked Kankuro slyly as he reached for a second peice oflobster.

Temari grabbed the same piece as Kankuro and pulled on it, "Good. Yours?"

"Fine…" the piece the two were struggling over broke; the biggest piece going to Temari.

"Ha! I got a bigger piece than you!" Temari gloated.

Kankuro reached over and snatched the pieceoff Temari's plate, "No you didn't."

"Hey! That's mine! Give it!" Temari jumped up and tried to steal it back.

Gaara's sandreached over and took the piece, "Mine."

Temari and Kankuro fumed incredulously, "That's not fair!"

Gaara smirked andchewed onthe lobster thoughtfully.

Shai and Temari laughed at Gaara's actions, but Kankuro was bent on eating that lobster. Even if it meant eating it after Gaara had already swallowed it.

"Gaara! Give it to me!" Kankuro jumped over and tried to make Gaara puke out the lobster he just ate.

"Kankuro!" Temari, Shai and Gaara all said at the same time. Shai and Temari giggled at Kankuro.

"Fine." Kankuro growled andtook the piece of lobster that was on Gaara's plate. He waved it around before sitting down and stuffing it in his mouth.

Temari giggled andthrew a handful of rice at Kankuro. Kankuro returned the rice to Temari.

Temari threw rice at Shai. Shai threw rice at Kankuro and Gaara.

Kankuro threw rice at Gaara and Temari.

Gaara threw rice at all of them twice.

Temari fell backwards into Kankuro, who was about to face wash Temari in rice.

"Kankuro!" Temari whined, her eyes going all puppy-dog on him.

"What?"

Temari quickly face-washed Kankuro with her own rice.

After a while, they settled down and finished eating their dinner in a half-civilized manner.

Shai had just finished washing the dishes and started on getting the rice off the floor when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Shouted Shai from the kitchen. She quickly washed her hands and was at the door just as it opened.

"K-Kazekage-sama!" Shai blushed and bowed formally. She was gratefull that it was too dark to tell just what shade of red she had turned.

"I am here regarding your first mission." The Kazekage returned the bow and Shai directed her to the living room.

"I would also like to speak with my children, if you would get them for me?"

Shai blushed, and nodded.

"Yessir," She bowed again and padded down the hallways, summoning first Temari, then Kankuro and finally Gaara.

When they had all found seats around the table, The Kazekage produced a scroll for each of them. Gaara and Kankuro had thefattest scrolls while Shai and Temari had thin scrolls. Shai's was the very smallest though.

Temari was the first to ask the question on all of their minds.

"Do they contain our mission or are they the object of the mission?"

The Kazekage chuckled and nodded, "They contain each of your missions. They're slightly different from one another. I need you all to keep what you read confedential. This is _very_ important, understand?"

All four children nodded and answered simulatiously, "Yes sir."

With that, the Kazekage got up, followed by Shai and his children, and left the house.

* * *

Shai sat on her bed, battling her consious on when to open the scroll from the Kazekage. She finally sighed and peeled the edge, checking for any traps. When she was satisfied that there wasn't anything that activated when opening the scroll, she opened it all the way. 

She stared at the middle of the scroll. The symbol for Konoha Village was sitting there. She had to go to the Village hidden in the Leafs. She shook her head, rubbed her eyes and looked back at the symbol; it was still there.

Shai sighed when she realized that the scroll had three attached pictures and began to read the textleft of the Konoha Leaf symbol.

* * *

**_Tag-along Secondary Mission_**

You are to follow Subaku no Gaara and his siblings to the Konoha Village on the dawn of the next full moon. There you will make contact with Sayami Jiiru behind the building the Kazekage assigns you and Subaku no Gaara at sundown on the first day. Follow the instructions given on the scroll you next receive.

Your password is: Tesimera

* * *

Shai re-read the text before she turned to the rest of the scroll. There was very little text on the right, and it just told her that she should only be concerned for herself and Gaara. It also read that he was the most important ninja on their mission and thatshe should take precautions for herself. She sighed and flipped through the pictures. 

The first picture was a simple overlay of Konoha. The second picture caught her attention; It was the picture of the ninja Sayami Jiiru.

His face was heavily scarred and looked like he'd been tortured more than once. His eyes were a bright blue and he was clearly blind in his right eye. He wore a blood-red thin jacket over a black fishnet shirt. His pants were black and loose-fitting, but the picture cut off at his knees. Over all of that, he wore a dark blue cloak, and his headprotector tied around his neck. She noted that he didn't wear a chuunin or jounin vest, and that his eyes carried something in them to make her weary of him. She couldn't tell what it was exactly, but she knew that he might cause trouble.

The third picture was another map of Konoha, but it had more details including major street names, and the locations of major tourist attractions like the cliff of Hokage's.

Shai sighed and rolled up the scroll again. She placed it in her dresser drawer, under a pair of pants, and curled up under her bedding. She wrestled with it for a while before drifting into a dreamless sleep.


	8. Mission in Konoha

_A/N: Could someone please email me with this information (I can't quite remember or find it on the internet):  
__The Village of Leafs is also known as Konoha Village, so what is the Village of Sand known as? The information is greatly appreciated._

**_Disclaimer: Why do I bother? I mean, I wouldn't be writing _fan fictions_ if I owned the series!_**

**Chapter Eight: MissionIn Konoha**

Shai woke to the sound of something breaking in the hallway. She shot out of bed when she realized that it was only a half hour before the dawn of the full moon.

She hopped throughout the room and collected a pack full of clothes, dressed and collected her mission scroll. She dashed out of her room and into Temari as she collected broken glass. Luckily, she didn't cut anything as she hopped over the shards that had flewn in front of her room and into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and made sure her hair was in order before dashing back into her room again to put on her sandals.

As she scrambled to pull together her money, which was everywhere through her room, she noticed that she did indeed have a cut on her toe. She sighed and wiped the blood off her sandals and ripped a peice of cloth off a rag she kept near her bed for such times.Having bandaged her toe,she ran out of her room to the front hall where Gaara and Kankuro waited, and they set out the second the sun crested the horizon. Shai was glad she had gone to train with Temari and Gaara, or else she would have never have kept up with the three siblings as they raced over rooftops and into the desert.

They didn't stop once until they had almost reached the border of the Fire country. They rested for a half-hour before setting out again. They made it to Konoha in less than ten hours, with an hour ofthe dayto themselves. They hadn't been expected for that hour so they treated themselves to dinner at Ichiraku ramen. They paid no attention to the stares they recieved as they joked about in a booth at the back and as they ate.

When the sun reached the tops of the trees, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro and Shai were in front of the Hokage's building. They were ushered in and told to take a seat. They had just begun to get comfortable in their seats before they were told they could see the Hokage.

Shai had never been out of the Village of Sand, let alone out of the country of Wind. She hadn't expected the buildings to be structured much like the ones in the Village of Sand because the Village of Leafs was in a grassy, tree-filled area without the harsh sands to buffet the houses and bury anything that was small enough to be held by the desert.

Not to mention that this was her first mission as Gaara's assistant. There was nervousness bubbling up in her throat that she wished wasn't there. It threatened to make her gag or sneeze, and she had to blink nervous tears away from the corners of her eyes before the bubbling went away.

They walked down a lengthy corridor and turned down another hall before stopping in front of two big doors marked with the Hokage's symbol and Konoha's symbol. They waited patiently as the ninja that had led them there slipped inside and returned to hold the door open.

As Shai entered the big room, she had to hold back a gasp of surprise. She hadn't imagined the Hokage's office to be filled with so much clutter. Four chairs sat in front of her desk, but the desk itself was covered with papers and scrolls of every kind. Some of which had fallen to the floor. The old man sitting at the desk was trying to fill something out, but stopped and put it aside when they had taken the seats at the desk. Temari satalmost in the middlewith Kankuro at her right, and Gaara to her left. To Gaara's left sat Shai.

Shai had wanted to sit on the couch that sat at the right wall, facing a TV across the room. She guessed that it was for veiwing important tapes, but she still wanted to know how comfortable the couch was.

She silently chasted herself for thinking such thoughts as Kankuro and Temari delivered their reports, and tsked herself for not paying attention.

" ... Inform you of the new threat from the Village Hidden in the Grass."

"Hmm .. Interesting. Do you have a scroll to give me as well?"

Temari nodded and handed over the scroll she had been given the previous week, but this one was a bit thinner than her original one. The Hokage opened it and quickly skimmed through it before rolling it back up and offering it back to Temari.

As she took the scroll, Kankuro produced his own.

"I was sent with a message for you as well, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage took that one and opened itas well, but didn't hand it back to Kankuro. Instead, he turned to Gaara. "I know _you_ have something for me."

The Hokage was talking to Gaara as if they had known each other for a long time. Shai supposed they must, as Gaara often had to travel to Konoha to deliver important messages that couldn't be trusted with anyone otherwise.

Gaara nodded and handed the Hokage a scroll as well. He didn't offer any explination, but that seemed to be fine with the man. He opened it and briefly read over the contents. He sat back and rolled the scroll upbefore heplaced it inside of a drawer. He thought for a while before he remembered that he had guests and turned his eyes on Shai.

She swallowed a lump in her throat as she returned his solemn gaze.

"And who are you ...? I don't recall the Village of Sand ever having a four-man team sent to me." Shai nodded and opened her mouth to explain, but Temari beat her to it.

"Hokage-sama, her name is Shai. She was assigned to our household a few months before now, as Gaara's mission assistant. Kazekage-sama told us that she was to ensure Gaara wouldn't harm anyone on missions such as this." Temari glanced over at Shai, who looked extremely releived of not having to speak.

"Ah ... I see ... And is she a mute? Couldn't she have answered the question?" The corner of his mouth twitched. Shai realized that he had been teasing. Temari giggled and shook her head.

"No, she's not a mute. She looked like she was going to choke on her tongue though." Temari let out a chuckle, and Shai gaped at her in horror.

"I-I ...Temari!" Shai felt herself turn three or four different shades of red as she sank back into her chair. She wished she could dissapear.

Everyone except Gaara and Shai laughed. When they had settled down, the Hokage dismissed them with an adress for where they would stay. They all bowed and left the Hokage to properly veiw the reports he received and headed to the building that they were going to stay at for the next three days.

Shai noticed that it was still a half-hour before sundown. Before she had to meet Sayami Jiiru behind the building. She began to unpack her things and thought of an excuse to go out back. She decided that she'd just slip out the back door.

When the sun was only a few moments from dissapearing behind the hills, Shai quietly opened the back door and sliped off into the back alley. She waited for only a minute before Gaara did the same as she had just done. She hid behind one of the neighbors fences and watched Gaara. He seemed to be waiting as well...

Then Kankuro and Temari slipped out the back door. When they saw Gaara, they burst into laughter.

Shai shook her head and decided that she should show herself as well. She straightened and snuck around behind Temari.

"What're you up to?" She whispered into her friends ear. This made Temari jump and whirl around, kunai in hand. Shai too had a kunai out, and countered what would have been an attack.

Temari growled and put the knife away when she saw Shai.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." Temari struggled to keep a smile off her face. Shai giggled and patted her shoulder.

"Getting rusty, are we?"

Everyone turned to see who had spoken from the depths of the alleyway.

* * *

;Gaara enters the room, holding a blackjack threatiningly; 

;Authoress's friend screams and tackle glomps Gaara;

;Authoress sweat drops and runs for the door.;

* * *

_A/N: Bleh, sorry for the long update time o.O I had to revamp this story and now I have a fictionpress account so... Yeah, I've been busy._

_A blackjack is a lead-weighted baton thing._


	9. Sayami Jiiru

_A/N:OMG! Sorry this chapter is so short. I think this is the very first time I've gotten writers blockso bad that I had to post a chapter that was only three hundred words:p_

**_Disclaimer: Do I have to include one in_ every chapter_? You already know that I don't own the characters nor the world they live in. The plot came from my head as well as Shai and Jiiru._**

**Chapter Nine: Sayami Jiiru**

Shai's neck made an audible popping nose as she whipped her head around to see who spoke. She tensed up when she saw Sayami Jiiru sneering at them.

"Ah, so I see you all received seperate orders to meet me here?" His voice was a lot higher pitched than one would expect. Shai guessed that he either was kicked too hard in the groin during one of his missions, or he was gay.

She was leaning towards the latter; Jiiru was looking Gaara over with lust-filled eyes.

When the four got over their shock and nodded, he produced two scrolls, holding one out to Gaara and the other to Temari.

"Each scroll contains another objective for you kids. Gaara and Shai are to read that one," He pointed to Gaara's scroll, then to the one Temari was holding, "Temari and Kankuro for that one."

When Jiiru was finished speaking, he continued to let his eyes roam around Gaara's body until Shai spoke to him.

"How do we know you're who we think you are?"

Jiiru chuckled at Shai for a moment before his face hardened. "Becuase of'tesimera'."

Shai smiled weakly at Jiiru, and he dissapeared in a cloud of dust.

Seeing the questioning looks in her companion's faces, she turned several shades of crimson before offering an explination.

"I ... Uh, well, He could have been a person using genjutsu."

Kankuro shook his head and started inside. Temari smiled and followed her younger brother as Shai and Gaara looked after them. After a while, Gaara glanced at Shai before going inside the building.

Shai gulped in a breath of the cool, fresh air of the forest, and hurled up her dinner.


	10. And Then She Fell

_A/N: At last ... Another update on GA! o.o Sorry again for the wordless-ness x.x_

**Chapter Ten: And Then She Fell**

Grumbling miserably, Shai continued her trek down - what seemed to be - the insanely long hall, past thestairsand into the kitchen.

As she bumped into objects that had been layed out to make the living space look less ugly, Shai eventually made it into the kitchen before she felt the urge to curl into a ball and throw up some more. Glancing around the room, her eyes finally rested on Gaara's face, whom was already started reading the scroll without her.

"Gaara-kun..! You started without me!" Shai hadn't exactly meant to whine, but when she felt her knees almost buckle, she decided it was better to whine than to collapse. Steadying herself on the kitchen counter, Shai made her way to the chairs and sat down.

"Hn..?" Gaara looked up from the scroll to see what he was needed for.

"G-Gaara-kun ... Do you know where they keep the stomach medicine ...?" Shai blinked a few times to keep the world from spinning around Gaara. After receiving the location of the pills - in the second floor washroom no less - she grumbled and made her way to the stairs.

She sat down on the third step to catch her breath. It was a bit harder to walk when she had to stifle the urge to throw up again. Deciding that when she got better, she'd go back to the Ichiraku Ramen and complain, Shai slowly got up and finished her trek to the top of the stairs.

Not knowing the layout of the house, she turned left, and looked into every room, until the end of the hall to no avail. Sighing, she went down the opposite hall and again checked every room until she found the bathroom.

Sighing in relief, she searched through the cabnet until she found a bottle that read 'Cures heartburn, nausea, indigestion, upset stomach, and other abdominal troubles.' She read the directions and swallowed the recommended two pills. Her head began to swim after a moment and she decided that she needed to sit down.

She was closest to the windows, which she supposed were locked down, and sat on the edge of the windowsill. She began to swing her legs back and forth, enjoying the feeling that she got from staring at them. Just as her head began to spin again, she stopped staring at her legs and looked up at the ceiling instead.

Leaning back so she was against the cool glass of the window, she closed her eyes and drew up her legs. She felt the world spinning around her, but the alarm went off in her head when she felt herself falling backwards.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt the window scrape open, and she uncoiled herself as she began to fall backwards out of the window.

"G ..._ Gaara!_" It felt like she drawled out her name longer than necissary, but she feared for her life as the edge of her vision grew dark, and as she saw the house growing taller. Just before she passed out, Shai swore shes aw sand encasing her.

* * *

Shai's eyes slowly fluttered open, but they immediatly shut again; sunlight was pouring in painfully from her window and into her face. 

_The window!_

Shai sat up as if someone had jolted her with electricity, remembering why she had slept until two in the afternoon - according to her alarm clock. Frantically looking around the room for anything that might suggest she'd died, Shai almost fell out of bed in a tizzle. When she could finally stop hyperventallating, Shai felt a surge of anger towards the Ichiraku Ramen shop - They'd almost killed her!

Angrily getting up, Shai stomped out of her room and into the downstairs bathroom, only to find Temari in there, doing her makeup. Shai sighed dejectedly and sat on the floor outside the bathroom, waiting for her chance to hop into the shower and get ready to complain.

When Temari finaly left Shai the washroom, she immeadiatly jumped in the shower and scrubbed herself clean, then got dressed and brushed her hair. She didn't even bother to brush it.

She stormed back into her room, found a pair of socks, and began to stomp her way to the front door when Gaara stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

Shai froze and turned, slowly, to face Gaara, half expecting him to get angryat her for being up. Instead, she saw a concerned Gaara, and that was far worse than a frustratedGaara.

"I was ... Uhm .. Going toIchiraku Ramen ... For .. Lunch?"

* * *

_A/N: Omg. This was supposed to continue until they received their next mission, but .. I took too long to update, and thus, I'm giving you this! x.x_


	11. Encounter at the Ichiraku Ramen

A/N: Okay, time to do some necessary sorting out. First; Sasuke is gone in this fic. Second; the Sandaime is still alive. Third; Gaara isn't Kazekage. Obviously. Fourth; Sakura has already trained with Tsunade. The rest you'll see.

Chapter Eleven: Encounter at the Ichiraku Ramen

Gaara shook his head, and Shai shrugged. She knew Gaara knew that she knew that he knew that Shai wasn't going to the Ichiraku Ramen for lunch. He just knew.

"I'm coming with you."

Shai shook her head, "No, you're not. When I get back, we can read the mission report together. If you hadn't got this already, well,_ I'm_ supposed to help _you_ out."

It was Gaara's turn to shrug. He shifted slightly so that he was blocking the hallway to the front door, a slight smirk playing upon his lips. Shai sighed dejectedly, and slumped forwards. She had lost the battle.

"Fine, come on." She moved to brush past Gaara, but he caught her upper arm and cocked an eyebrow. Shai rolled her eyes and leaned up to briefly kiss Gaara on the cheek before wrapping her arms around his neck to smile up at his face. He 'Hn'ed and leaned down to kiss Shai properly.

"Ahem. Some of us need to leave?"

They both jumped apart at the sound of Temari's voice. Shai giggled and bounced out of the hall towards the door. She was in a better mood already. When Shai reached the end of the small walkway that led to the sand-nin's temporary house, she turned to see Kankuro locking up the place, Temari and Gaara nowhere to be seen.

She shrugged and turned around, and almost jumped when she was standing nose-to-chin with Gaara.

"Boo."

Shai chuckled and shook her head. Moving once again to brush past Gaara, she half expected him to grab her arm again, and felt slightly disappointed when she didn't. Sighing to herself, she began to walk towards the Ichiraku Ramen ... Or, at least where she thought it was.

Twice on the trip over to the shop, Shai had to be tapped on the shoulder and directed in the proper direction by Gaara, and once she had to turn around because they had gotten ... Lost, to say the least. It took them a total of thirty minutes to get there from a fifteen minute trip.

As Shai approached the shop, her anger returned with a vengeance. She huffed up and started stomping towards the place, and only calmed down enough to enter when she felt Gaara's hand on her shoulder.

When they entered the Ichiraku Ramen, Gaara froze at the sound of another boy's voice.

"... And then we'll jump out at them! It'll be a _total_ surprise!"

"You idiot! They would be expecting that kind of thing!"

"Oi! Don't _hit_ me!"

"I hit you because you're an _idiot_!"

"Guys, guys! Calm down."

" ... Yeah, _shut up_ Naruto."

"What did you say to me?"

"I _said_, shut up. I guess you're _deaf_ too."

Shai glanced over at the noisy table of seven, then back to Gaara. Something about his face was ... Odd. Shai gently touched his shoulder and he jumped. He shook his head and nodded over at the counter, and Shai's face soured.

"Right ... My reason for coming here ..." She quickly turned on the man that was at the counter. Luckily it was the same man from before.

"Hey! You! Who made my ramen last night? I demand to know!"

The man at the counter smiled, thinking that she'd come to compliment the chef, or something nice like that. Obviously, he was blind, "Oh, I did, miss! Why? Was it that good?"

Shai closed her eyes to keep her temper in check, and when she opened them again, she exploded.

"_Was it **good**?_ Oh, sure, it was _good. _So good I almost _died!"_

The man at the counter shrugged, a smile still hanging on his face. "Well, maybe you have an allergy to the food?"

Shai trembled in anger, and her voice was laced with venom, "An _allergy?_ Is that what you call _falling out the fucking window_?"

Something touched Shai's shoulder. She looked over and saw Gaara, and she immediately got the reins on her temper. Closing her eyes again and taking four deep breaths, Shai could feel herself relax. When she opened her eyes again, she realized someone was talking to her and Gaara.

" ... Here! Come and sit with us!"

The boy had blond hair that seemed to defy gravity, and curious blue eyes. Shai looked up at Gaara's face, and he looked back. Nodding subtly, Shai sawGaara's nose twitch, and his mouth turned up in a smirk. That was a good sign, obviously.

Gaara nodded at the boy and walked over to their table. Shai noticed that when he sat down in one of the small spaces left to sit in, almost everyone shifted away from him. She would have done the same a month or two back, but she was barely afraid of anything now. She giggled and sat next to Gaara, forcing him to move closer to the ones that didn't want him to sit there. Gaara justmoved over andcrossed his arms.

"So, who's the girl? Is she your _girlfriend_?" It seemed that only the blond boy was willing to talk to Gaara. Shai was, of course, too shy to speak first so she just looked between Gaara and the blond boy.

"Hn." Gaara glared at Naruto, but the gaze he was giving him didn't scream bloody murder. It seemed ... Friendly, somehow.

"Aren't you going to introduce her?" The blond boy looked over at Shai, having second thoughts,"Or can you introduce yourself?"

Shai blushed, and held out her hand to the boy, "I'm Shai."

Naruto cocked his head but shook her hand, "I know you're shy. But what's your name?"

Shai glared across the table at the boy, gripping his hand as tight as possible. She even heard something in his hand pop, and he flinched. Even if she did get that a lot, it was a bit embarrassing for it to happen with a group. She heard snickering from somewhere to her left, and she released the boy's hand, "My _name_ is Shai. _S-H-A-I_."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage one day!" Naruto rubbed his hand, and cringed when one of the only girls at the table smacked him upside the head.

"Is it physcally impossible for you to appologize? And do you _always_ have to say that! Anyways ..." The girl had pink hair and bright green eyes. She turned to Shai, her own hand outstretched, "I'm Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you Shai."

Shai gripped Sakura's hand in a friendly handshake. Shai liked this girl for some reason. When they released each other from the handshake, Shai heard a muffled whine from across the table. When she looked over, she saw a boy with messy brown hair, red markings down his cheeks and interesting dark eyes.

"Akamaru, it's alright. Come out and say hello." The boy seemed to be talking to a whining, trembling lump in his jacket. He unzipped it down to mid chest and a little white dog poked it's head out.

"Aww .. What a cute dog .." Shai looked up at the boy, then back at the dog, "Can I pet him?"

The boy chuckled and coaxed the dog out of his jacket and onto the table, "Yeah. My name's Inuzuka Kiba, and this is Akamaru."

Shai giggled and reached over to pet the Akamaru. The dog backed away from her and whined loudly, trembling like nothing before. When Shai sighed and looked back over at Kiba, he smiled apologeticaly, "I guess he still doesn't like Gaara ... No offence."

Shai glanced beside her to Gaara, who just nodded at Kiba. Shai sighed again and upturned her hand, beckoning to the dog gently.

"Come here Akamaru, It's alright. I'm not sure about Gaara, but I promise I don't bite." Glancing over at Gaara from the corner of her eye, she saw his mouth twitch in a would-be chuckle. She continued to gently make a coaxing motion to the pup and trying to reasure him thatshe was friendly.

"Akamaru, come on. That's not fair. Say you're sorry." Kiba frowned at his pup, seeming to understand the whines that Akamaru had made. Shai cocked her head and looked up at Kiba curiously.

"Did you just ..?" Shai looked down at her fingers, surprised that Akamaru had finaly made his way over to her and had sniffed her hand.

"Yeah. He said something pretty rude to you a moment ago." Kiba smirked, having just received a small ego boost from Shai's speechlessness.

Shai giggled as Akamaru licked her fingers in apology. Shai reached up and scratched behind his ears breifly before Akamaru trotted back to Kiba and tried to climb back into his jacket.

When Shai looked around the table, she realized that she hadn't been introduced tofour of the members of the table .. And that everyone was staring at her.

" ... I'm Hyuuga Neji."

Shai looked over to her left, where a boy with long brown hair and white eyes had his hand outstretched. Shai shook his hand with a returned iron grip. He seemed to want to gauge her strength, and she wanted him to know that she was strong. The first time she met his eyes made her skin crawl. They had no pupil and it creeped her out the way he just .. stared, at her.

When she released his hand, it felt as if she'd just let go of an ice-cube; her hand tingled. She pulled it back and stared, wondering what the hell the boy had done to it, when she heard a little cough from beside Neji.

" ... Aburame Shino." Shai held out her hand once again to shake the boys hand. She couldn't see his eyes or his mouth, due to sunglasses and a high colar, but again noticed that his hair defied gravity. The boy didn't take her hand, but nodded politely in her direction.

Shrugging, she held out her hand to the girl beside him, having to reach around Gaara, whom looked rather ... Stoic.

Shai noted that the girl's hair was black, tinted blue, and also had white eyes with no pupils. The girl smiled and shook Shai's hand, speaking with a small voice that reminded Shai of herself."M-my name's Hyuuga Hinata."

Shai blinked and looked between Neji and Hinata, "Are you two related?"

Neji looked away from Hinata and Hinata stared down at her fingers. Shai didn't think that she'd get a straight answer from either of them, and honestly didn't care all that much.

Instead, she looked over at the last boy. His eyes were closed and his hands behind his head as if sleeping, but when Shai propped herself up over Gaara, one of his eyes popped open to reveal an eye that was so dark it was almost black. His hair was the same color, and pulled up into a ponytail.

"How bothersome. Nara Shikamaru." Shikamaru didn't even bother moving anything besides his head to offer a nod at her.

Shai sighed and sat back down properly. She looked at Gaara once more, only to see that he was having a staring contest with Naruto.

"So what brings you two to Konoha?"

Shai looked over at Sakura and smiled. "Oh, just missions ...You know, the usual stuff."

Sakura nodded in understanding. She did know. Shai could tell something was bugging her though, just the way her eyes subtly darted between her and Gaara every so often.

" ... So ... How do you and Gaara know each other?"

Shai opened her mouth to say something, but she felt Gaara'ssand closing it again. She knew that Gaara didn't want them to know the reason they were in Konoha, and she also knew that they couldn't see the sand because it was thinned out too much.

"That's none of your business." Gaara's tone was extremelyicy. Shai didn't think he'd react like that, but she guessed it had something to do with their mission.

Sakura seemed taken aback from his reply and fell silent. Naruto, of course, was the first to break the awkward silence.

"Oh! Do you guyswanna help us out?"

Gaara cocked his head in confusion, and Shai just blinked.

"Help you ... With what?"

* * *

This is where everyone is sitting. I gave myself a headache trying to figure this out so you wouldn't get one too. Enjoy! 

-Sakura--Naruto--Kiba-  
_-Neji-  
_-Shino-  
--Hinata-  
--_Shikamaru_---Gaara-Shai

Each hyphen is aboutthree centimetres. Neji and Shikamaruare sitting in a corner.

* * *

_A/N: Ooh! I wrote this in one sitting. Go me! This also means I made myself sit down for five hours and think the hell out of my brain, but whatever._


	12. Secret Mission?

_A/N: Sorry for the long update time and the somewhat small chapter. At least the story's moving forwards._

**Chapter Twelve: Secret Mission?**

"Okay, first of all ... You two know about our newest missing-nin, right? Kakashi-san and Iruka-san?" Naruto looked between them expectantly.

Shai and Gaara both nodded. Shai had read about their newest missing nin in Sunagakure's newspaper, quite a long while back. Gaara probably knew ... Just because it was Gaara.

"Right ... Well, we know where they're hiding, and we've convinced the Hokage to let them back into the village if we can convince the two to return." Sakura nodded proudly. Obviously, it had been her that had set up the entire argument.

Shikamaru sat up intently. They seemed to have an entire speech planned or something! "And we're planning on a surprise attack. If we can coax them out, and maybe talk to them, then we could get them to return to the village peacefully."

Everyone nodded around the table. Even Gaara.

"Okay ... Well, I suppose I could help ..." Shai looked over at Gaara, and he nodded in agreement. He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye and subtly poked her; a signal that they needed to talk privately.

"Uhm .. could you excuse us a moment?" Shai got up and smiled apologetically to the seven as Gaara dragged her off to the back of the shop.

"I need you to read the mission scroll."

"What? Now?"

"Yes."

Shai rolled her eyes and held out her hand, "Fine."

"Not here. Back at the house. Set up a rendezvous with them or something. I have to go."

Shai nodded, "But where's the scroll?"

"Check under your nose."

Gaara leaned in and pecked Shai on the nose before disappearing in a swirl of sand.

Shai sighed and slumped against the wall. Gaara sure was difficult sometimes! Chuckling at the riddle he'd left her with, with good purpose, she headed back to the table.

"Oi. Where'd Gaara go?" Naruto Shikamaru cracked open an eye as she returned, only a _bit_ surprised that she'd returned alone.

"Uhm ... Nowhere. Look guys, I got to go. Could we meet up later? Like... In an hour or so? It's ... Four right now, so ... How about at five, five-thirty we meet ... Uhm ... I dunno." Shai was speaking at incredible speeds. She really wanted to find the scroll and read it.

"Lets meet at the cliffs! Under the fourth's head!" Everyone groaned at Naruto's suggestion.

"Why there? You _always_ suggest there!"

Before another argument broke out, Shai butt in with, "Sounds good, see you there in an hour-and-a-half! Ja!" Shai quickly dashed out of the shop and ran as fast as she could, back to their temporary home.

She quickly opened the door, surprised to find it unlocked, and darted into her room, waving a quick hello to Temari.

Shai shut the door behind her and began to think frantically.

_If I was under my nose, I would be ... Under the bed? Nope.' _Shai shook her head and stuck out her tongue as she sat on her haunches.

_'The pillow?'_

_'Uhm .. Nope.'_

_'The ... Oh! Right here.'_ Shai looked up on top of her shelf and quickly took down the scroll Gaara had put there for her. She unrolled it and glanced at the clock. She had an hour left.

* * *

**_Infiltration Mission_**

To complete this mission, you are to gather information about the missing-nins Hatake Kakashi and Umuino Iruka. Any information is to be reported to Sayami Jiiru of Sunagakure. When Sayami gives the okay, you're to take out the two missing nin's in anyway possible.

Pictures of the two are provided in the scroll.

It is possible that they've changed their appearances or may be using genjitsu, so be on guard.

* * *

Shai gasped as she read and re-read the scroll. She closed her eyes, counted to ten, rubbed them, then opened them before reading the scroll a third time. 

She decided that she really wasn't hallucinating, and what she was reading was the real deal.

She finally understood why Gaara had been in such a rush. She scrunched up her nose and unravelled the scroll fully and looked for the pictures. She didn't find any in the bulk of the scroll, so she checked the tubing that kept it in a nice little roll.

Having found nothing, she put it back together, placing the scroll in one of her hidden pockets. She sighed dejectedly andslumped down onto her bed to think for a while.


End file.
